The description relates to a particle sensor, an exhaust system and a method for the protection of components of a turbocharged engine with exhaust-gas recirculation. Exhaust-gas recirculation serves to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions generated during combustion of an air-fuel mixture in the engine. Here, the already-burned exhaust gas is supplied to the fresh-air flow supplied to the engine, and the mixture thereby generated is combusted in the engine.
DE 10 2008 001 910 A1 discloses a system for exhaust-gas recirculation, in which an optimization of the emissions in the exhaust gas is attained by means of regulation taking into consideration the NOx exhaust-gas values and particle emissions values.
DE 696 32 510 T2 discloses a nitrogen oxide sensor for measuring a NOx concentration in an exhaust gas. The described sensors and systems duly measure the concentration of pollutants in the exhaust gas but do not offer a concept for the protection of components of the engine and of the exhaust system.
The description is based on the desire of protecting components of the engine and of the exhaust system from degradation. Said desire may be achieved by way of the features of the claims. The dependent claims define advantageous refinements.
The inventor herein has recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and has developed an engine system, comprising: an engine including at least one component other than an engine after treatment device; an exhaust system coupled to the engine; a particle sensor positioned in an exhaust system; an actuator coupled to the engine; and a controller including instructions for adjusting a position of the actuator to limit degradation of the at least one component in response to an output of the particulate sensor.
By adjusting a position of the actuator in response to an output of the particulate sensor to limit degradation of the engine component, it may be possible to extend the operating life of engine components. For example, if an amount of particulate matter exhausted from the engine exceeds a threshold amount, an EGR valve may be at least partially closed so as to reduce the amount of particulate matter that contacts vanes of a turbocharger that pressurizes air entering the engine. Thus, collection of particulate matter on turbocharger vanes may be reduced so as to limit turbocharger turbine mass and imbalance that may result if particulate matter attaches to the turbocharger turbine.
In other examples, heaters of sensors or exhaust heating elements may be activated in response to an amount of particulate matter exhausted from the engine falling below a threshold amount. The heater or heaters may be activated in response to particulate matter sensor output to detect whether condensed soluble material has evaporated after an engine start.
The present description may provide several advantages. Specifically, the approach may improve the operating life of engine components. In addition, the approach may improve engine emissions over the operating life of the vehicle by extending the operating life of engine components that may affect engine emissions. Further, the approach may improve engine fuel economy over the operating life of the vehicle via extending the operating life of engine components that may affect fuel economy.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.
The drawings serve merely for the explanation of the description, and do not restrict the description. The drawings and the individual parts are not necessarily drawn to scale. The reference symbols that are common to more than one figure are used to denote identical or similar parts.